SHOPPING and culture tend to be mutually exclusive, but at Ocean Terminal last Saturday the two came together beautifully. A sudden explosion of Indian rhythms and pulsating Bhangra beat was all it took to announce the presence of Akademi South Asian
Dance company. Diners put down their forks and shoppers stopped in their tracks as performers appeared, seemingly from nowhere, and filled the space with colour.
Bringing together a fusion of Indian dance styles, this site-specific piece was originally created for the opening of Nottingham's newest arts centre. Adapted to utilise the sofas, banisters, tables and stage area of the Ocean Kitchen bar and restaurant, the piece looked equally at home in a shopping mall, thanks to some dynamic choreography and captivating dancers.
Slowly building momentum, the piece started with two synchronised Bharatanatyam dancers, with delicate fingers and vibrant eyes. Followed by the arrival of two dramatic characters (one on stilts, the other brandishing a sword), six Kathak dancers, a male/female duet and a cat-like prowler who leapt from wall to wall when we least expected it. If you tired of one routine, you simply shifted your gaze to another – the dance equivalent of channel-hopping.
London-based Akademi aims to widen the appreciation and understanding of South Asian dance – and what better way than to perform for an audience of passers-by? Part of the Edinburgh Mela, Initium was completely free, open to all and enjoyed by many – just as it deserved to be.
The full article contains 254 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
